eSword – freeware Bible software with an edge

A screenshot of the free eSword Bible software for Windows.

Next up in my “I’ve been meaning to blog about this for ages” series comes the excellent eSword bible software. I’ve been using eSword for a couple of years now, and it’s now at the truly holy version 7.7.7. (Stryper would be proud of them!) There is also a version available for Pocket PC (or whatever Microsoft are calling their PDA version of Windows).

What I really like about eSword is its variety of Bible versions available. I regularly use The Message, Contemporary English Version (CEV) and International Standard Versions (ISV), as well as occasionally in Hebrew or Koine Greek. Sadly, the New International Version (NIV) and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) are not available as their publishers haven’t granted eSword a licence.

The user-interface is really quite simple too: Select the version you want (of those you have installed) in the central section, and in the left-hand pane select the book and chapter you want to view. It couldn’t be more simple than that. If you have any commentaries installed you can access information from those in adjacent panes; or create your own study notes.

eSword also has a Compare function, showing your selected Bible verse in each version you have installed; or a Parallel function, allowing up to four versions to be viewed side-by-side.

Searching for a passage is a simple case of clicking Search and telling the software what you’re looking for, and in which version.

It’s certainly worth checking out. But if you want to download everything then you’ll certainly need a broadband connection as it clocks in at over 336 MB.

Published by

Gareth J M Saunders

Hi, I'm Gareth J M Saunders, 43 years old, 6' 4", married to Jane, father to twins Reuben and Joshua, and their younger brother Isaac.
I'm a priest in the Scottish Episcopal Church and worship at All Saints' Church, St Andrews.
I am employed as the Web Architect at the University of St Andrews.
View all posts by Gareth J M Saunders

Is that “Biblia” a request for that translation of the Bible, of for more material in a specific language? If the latter, http://www.esnips.com/web.eSwordFAQs/ contains documentation on creating modules for e-Sword. If you meant the former, hunt in that folder for a document called _The e-sword Module Database_. I _think_ I listed where it could be downloaded from, there.

I hope everyone realizes that 777 is a satanic number in trhe occult? I grew up with Stryper, Bloodgood (names of the two brothers who started the band), Petra, Geoff Moore, Deghamo and Key, Jerusalem, The Altar Boys, Daniel Amos/Swirling Eddies, Larry Norman, The Choir, Servent, Bryan Duncan, Steve Taylor, Randy Styonehill, and U2. what am really trying to say-not trying to be a hater on CCM [That’s ‘Contemporary Christian Music’ – Ed.] but rather sounding the alarm allowing for the ideal — maybe even Stryper did not know this. You can find articles on this in wikipedia, here is the title: 777 and other Qabalistic writings of Aleister Crowley